Why Does My Blue Tongue Skink Hiss?

Blue tongue skinks do not have many defense mechanisms but one way they do try and deter predators is by hissing. In the wild blue tongue skinks can become easy prey for predators because they are quite docile creatures and rely on trying to trick predators into thinking they are more dangerous than they actually are. They hiss when they feel agitated or threatened so if you approach your skink and they do this, you should not attempt to handle it but let it calm down and try again in a while, or they could bite you and this will cause bonding and trust issues.

Always try and be a source of food and comfort to your pet skink, if you hand feed, offer treats, act in a calm manner and let your blue tongue get used to you over time then they will bond with you and see you as a source of safety rather than a threat.

If your blue tongue skink seems to be hissing and reacting negatively to you out of nowhere, whereas it would usually react in a calm way then there could be something wrong such as illness, they could be shedding, or temperatures in their habitat may be too low or too high.